espositol posted on October 01, 2010 13:06
Public can donate to support Red Cross relief efforts with a click, call, or text message.
RALEIGH, October 1, 2010 – The American Red Cross is responding to help people affected by the winds, rains and flooding in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Nicole, and is ready as the storm moves up the Atlantic Coast.
Eleven shelters were opened in North Carolina in partnership with American Red Cross, county and community agencies; giving more than 125 people a safe place to ride out the storm last night as heavy rain and strong winds passed through the area. Red Cross volunteers work around the clock to ensure that families have a safe place to stay, as well as meals and snacks. Up-to-date shelter location information is available on www.redcross.org by clicking “Find a Shelter.”
Today, the Red Cross will be assessing damage left by the storm and helping people as they begin to cleanup. Nearly 100 Red Cross disaster workers have been deployed to North Carolina to support efforts there, along with seven emergency response vehicles (all based in North Carolina) loaded with snacks, drinks, comfort kits and cleaning kits. ERV #1223, stationed in Raleigh, left this morning with a crew of two volunteers. They will be assigned to serve in the New Bern, North Carolina area.
“The Red Cross works year-round to ensure we have the best trained volunteers and materials pre-positioned throughout the country to make sure we can respond quickly to disasters,” said Barry Porter, Regional Executive for the Triangle Red Cross. “In preparation for this storm, we prepositioned shelter support trailers with cots and blankets as well as kitchen support trailers throughout the state. Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) and their volunteer teams were placed on alert. The Red Cross was able to respond immediately to the needs of those affected because of our readiness efforts ahead of the storm.
People who are evacuating can register on the Red Cross Safe and Well Website, accessible at disastersafe.redcross.org, so that friends and relatives can find out how they are. For those who don’t have internet access, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to register yourself and your family. Follow the prompts for disaster information.
To make a financial donation to the Red Cross to help people affected by this storm and other disasters here in the United States and around the world, people can click, call or text - visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. The storm may also impact blood collections in the affected areas. To find out how you can be a blood donor, visit www.redcrossblood.org.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.